Mrs Magliocco said: "The decision not to allow her to wear a headscarf was taken by the governing body. The school has a very particular uniform policy which is shared with parents and, as head, I must follow the plan.

"The pupil in question came to us from a private school. Her parents actively chose us and, before she arrived, we held a meeting which included details of the uniform plan.

"We are the only Greek Orthodox Primary School in the whole country. The parents actively sought our school. They must have done so with their eyes open."

The school, which has children between the ages of four and 11, was top of Croydon's league tables for primary schools. Around 60% of its pupils are Greek, according to an inspection from 2010, 10% are White British, and the remainder are ethnic minorities.

The head of the school described the girl's parents as a "really nice family and it's a regrettable situation for both sides."

The school's uniform policy, which specifies a white shirt, navy pullover, skirt and blue coat for girls, makes no mention of headscarfs.